Metallic railway crosstie



'J. W. HERMAN AND J. A. HYLE.

METALLIC RAJLWAY CROSSTIE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5 1921,

Patented; Jan. W, 11922?- LACQJSQQMLL iI//I/O/gj: MM 62 21% x w g W. 41/

were: in "F5? :l h ifll wi ao JACOB VJ. HERMAN AND JACOB A. HYLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLIC RAILWAY CROSSTIE.

neoaeaii.

Specification of Letters Patent.

liatented Jar-i. 116), 1922.

Application filed. February 5, 1921. Serial No. 442,721.

1 0 all to 710m it may 00;? cor n Be it known that we, JACOB HERMAN and Jnoon A. Hrnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway Urossties, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved and novel metallic railway cross tie especially adapted to be utilized in connection with the road beds of steam and electric railways.

The main object of this invention is to provide an economical, durable, reliable and eiiicient railway cross tie, possessing the requisite strength to readily withstand all of the strains to which such ties are necessarily subjected when in use, and which is so constructed as to materially increase the longevity of the same.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a simple construction of metallic cross tie in connection with wooden blocks, said blocks constituting a resilient support for the track rails, and at the same time creating a reliable insulation of the rails so that said track rails will serve as reliable and efiicient conductors in connection with the usual automatic railway electrical signaling systems.

Further objects of this invention are to so construct the metallic cross tie and wooden blocks, that the blocks may be easily and readily removed and new blocks inserted or replaced by a single employee and without emoving the tie, or in any manner disturbing the position oi the track rail or road ballast beneath the tie; to safely and securely fasten the wooden blocks upon the base portion of the metallic cross tie, with the outer upright face of each block or blocks in contact with the inner face of and between the upright sides of the metallic tie, said block or blocks extending a suitable distance above the top of said metallic tie; to provide means which will always maintain the base portion of the metallic tie members in proper alinement; to so secure said tie members that a drainage opening will be formed throughout the entire length of the tie, whereby all moisture will be drained from the tie and into the road bed, said opening also serving to secure the tie to the road bed by the road ballast which will accumulate within the opening, thereby materially serving to prevent any skidding action of the metallic cross tie; and to provide means for so tightly clamping the wooden block or blocks between the upright members of the tie as to compress the fibres of the wooden blocks to such an extent as to prevent splitting of the block when the track rail securing spikes are driven therein and at the same time prevent any vibratory or swinging movement of the wooden blocks.

T he foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are attained by the means hereinafter more fully described, and by the construction, combination, arrangement and location of the parts such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the precise form, proportions, and minor details of the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ot the invention.

in the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification, it will be seen that Figure 1, is a perspective view of the novel railway cross tie embodying our invention.

Figure 2, is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3, is a transverse section taken on the plane of lines 33, Figure 2, showing the tie and the tie base alinement means in crosssection, and

Figure 4L, is an end elevation of the metallic tie with the wooden blocks and base alinement means secured thereto.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts through the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out our invention, we provide a railway cross tie of suit-able or desirable dimensions throughout the length and breadth of the metallic portion of said tie with which our invention is embodied in he form illustrated which may be made oi any suitable metallic material, but is preferably made of two pieces or members from the standard E; or right angle shaped sections of steel which are now in universal use, and each piece or member consists of a flat inwardly and laterally extended base portion 1, and an integral vertical outer member 2, said outer members forming the enter upright walls of the tie, said base portions 1 and vertical member 2, extending the entire length of the tie, each upright member 2, being cut away on an incline from the point 3, at each end of the tie to a point i at or near the outer end portion of the wooden block.

It will be perceived that the track rails 5 are seated and rest upon the upper surface of a suitable metallic plate (5 seated upon the upper surface of a hardwood block or blocks 7, said block or blocks clamped between the upright members 2, near each end of the tie, each of said blocks being formed with straight vertical faces, the lower surface of each block resting upon and in contact with the upper surface of the base portion of the tie, while the upper portion of each block extends a suitable distance above the upper edge of the upright members 2 of the tie in order to furnish safe and effectual insulation of the track rails from the cross tie. The size of the hardwood blocks is sufficient to furnish the requisite strength to support the track rails and retain the rail fastening means such as spikes of the type ordinarily employed in Securing the track rails to a wooden tie, which spikes are usually driven into the wooden blocks with the head portion of each spike overlapping and in contact with the upper surface of the base portion of the track rail.

The wooden blocks such as are utilized in this connection are inexpensive, since one block or a plurality of blocks of different degrees of width may be tightly clamped between the upright'members 2, thereby permitting the use of the ends of logs, the well preserved portions of cast ofl hardwood ties, and other small size pieces of wood which would ordinarily be classed as waste material, said wooden blocks being first preferably impregnated or saturated with crude oil, creosote, or any other suitable or V desirable preservative preparation to increase their durability and longevity. They are each formed rectangular in cross-section and adapted to rest in contact with the base portion of the tie. The fastening means employed for firmly and securely clamping the wooden block or blocks to the body portion of the metallic cross tie and in contact with its base and the inner face of its upright members 2 comprises two headed bolts 8, of the requisite strength, screw-threaded at one end thereof, and two securing nuts 9, one of said nuts being fitted to the screwthreaded end portion of each bolt, said fastening means being adapted to rigidly and lirnily secure one or a plurality of blocks at the same time to the cross tie, one or a plurality of blocks being located near each end portion of the tie. ach securing bolt 7, is passed through an opening formed through the block or blocks within the tie and the opening formed in each upright member 2, so that the fibres of the wooden blocks become so compressed between the upright clamping members 2 as to prevent the blocks from splitting when the rail fastening spikes are driven therein and will materially serve to prevent weather conditions 1 ioae i i from permitting the blocks to split, as will be readily understood.

In forming our metallic tie of two sec tions of angle plate steel it is important that the base portions be separated to form a suitable space between the two sections, said space forming a longitudinal opening 9 extending throughout the length of the tie, thus creating a drainage for all moisture from the tie to the road bod beneath, and that said sections shall rest in true alinement, hence we provide a member adapted to retain the base portions 1 of the said sections in absolute transverse alinement with relation to each other, said member consisting of a single casting of l alleable iron or steel, formed with an upper and a lower horizontally extending portion 10, and a central integral hollow portion 11, the upper portion 10 overlapping and in contact with the upper surface of the base portion 1 which is slightly beveled from its outer edge inwardly, while its lower portion overlaps in contact with the lower straight surfare of said base portions 1, and in assembling the several parts of the tie the alinement member is adjusted within the longitudinal opening 12, one at each end of the tie, and is passed inwardly until it is adapted to rest in contact with the outer end face of the wooden block or blocks, so that when the block securing bolts and nuts shall have been properly fastened to the tie, the base por tions 1 of the tie will be forced inwardly between the overlapping portions 10 and 11 of the alinement member thereby wedging said member to the said base portions, as shown in Figs. 3 and i, whereby said alinement member serves to securely hold the lower base of the tie in true alinement and at the same time materially a in preventing any sidewise or outward movement of the wooden block or blocks.

It will be observed that the upper portion of both the upright members 2 is provided with a concaved recess or rut away portion 13 near each end of the tie, the major portion of the said member being removed at the central part of said portion at 1 so as to permit any suitable form of, anti-rail i creeper (not shown) to rest in contact with the outer face of the wooden block, thereby preventing any interference with the electrical signaling system, and at the same time serving to anchor the rails and resist any creeping tendency thereof when the rolling stock is travelling over the track rails.

While we have shown the track rails seated directly upon the upper surface of a suitable metallic tie plate it will be evident that if desired, the rails 5 may rest or be seated upon the upper surface of the hardwood block or blocks 7. i

It will be seen that the opening 12 formed throughout the length of each tie serves not only as a drainage opening for permitting the moisture to drain from the tie to the road bed beneath, but is adapted to receive a portion of the road ballast which will project between its edges, thereby materially assisting, in connection with the ballast within the tie between the wooden blocks; the ballast within the tie at each end portion thereof, and the lower portions of the alinement members in looking the ties to the road bed ant resisting all tendency to the skidding action of the ties.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A metallic railway cross tie comprising two metal sections, each section having an upright member and a horizontal base member, blocks of hard wood disposed between said upright members, means for securing said blocks in place, and wedging means secured to the upper and lower surfaces of each base member of said tie for holding the base members in true alinement.

2. A metallic railway cross tie comprising two right angle metal sections, each section having an upright portion and a base portion, blocks of hard wood disposed between the upright portions and resting upon the base portions and in contact with the inner face of said upright portion, means for removably securing said blocks in place, and wedging means secured to the upper and lower surfaces of each base portion for holding the base portions of the tie in true alinement.

A metallic railway cross tie comprising two metal sections of rolled steel, each section having an upright member and a horizontal base member, a plurality of blocks of hard wood disposed between said upright members and in contact with the base memhers and upright members, a plurality of bolts and nuts for rigidly securing said blocks in place, and wedging means secured to the upper and lower surfaces of each base member for holding said base portions of the tie in true alinement with relation to each other.

a. A metallic railway cross tie comprising two right angle members made of rolled steel, each member having an upright portion and a base portion, blocks of hard wood disposed between said upright portions, means for removably and rigidly securing said blocks in place, and wedging means secured to the upper and lower surfaces and between the inner edges of the base portions and overlap ping said portions of the tie for holding the latter in true alinement.

5. A metallic railway cross tie comprising two metal sections formed from rolled steel, each section having an upright member and a horizontal base member, a plurality of blocks of hard wood disposed between said upright members, a plurality of bolts and nuts for removably and securely holding the blocks in place, wedging means secured to the upper and lower surfaces of each of the base members of the tie "for holding the latter in true alinement, said sections being so connected as to form lon itudinal onenin the entire length or the tie.

6. A metallic rail vay cross tie comprising two metal sections formed from rolled steel, each section having a horizontal base memher and an upright member, each upright member having a recessed portion formed near each. end thereof, blocks of hard wood disposed between said upright members, means for removably {astening the blocks in place, and wedging means secured to the upper and lower surfaces of each base member of the tie for holding the base members in true alinement.

7. A metallic railway cross tie comprising two metal right angle sections formed of rolled steel, each section having a horizontal base member and an upright member, blocks of hard wood disposed between said upright members, means for removably securing the blocks in place, a concave recessed portion formed in each upright portion near each end thereof in transverse alinement with the blocks, and a wedge member having a horizontal portion overlapping both the upper and lower surfaces of the base members of the tie and between said base members for holding the latter in true alinement, said base members being so connected as to form a longitudinal opening throughout the length of the tie.

JACOB W. HERMAN. JACOB A. HYLE. 

